Natural hazards · Brandon

Brandon, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brandon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 56 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Brandon?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brandon to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding28%Tornadoes24%Hail14%Cold waves10%Heat waves9%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Brandon faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hail

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Brandon flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brandon, from FEMA’s records.

56paid claims since 1979

$1.5Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Francine: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Brandon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Rankin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

114storm safe rooms built

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Brandon

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Brandon itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Brandon.

Brought FEMA money into BrandonDeclared for Rankin County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

3 households applied for aid

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

140 households applied for aid $27K aid approved $241K to the City of Brandon for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

1 household applied for aid

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$10K to the City of Brandon for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

4,252 households applied for aid $2.4M aid approved $212K to the City of Brandon for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

284 households applied for aid $689K aid approved $110K to the City of Brandon for repairs

Rankin County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Brandon

Brandon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pearlmostly inland floodingHigh

Brandonmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Brandon covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brandon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brandon. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Brandon total about $6.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.